MUST READS

A June 8, 2018 Huffington Post article spotlighted Stanley Cup winning T.J. Oshie of the Washington Capitals. He revealed that his father has Alzheimer’s disease in an emotional post-game interview. “He doesn’t remember a lot of stuff. But you bet your ass he’s going to remember this one.” Also covered by ABC News.

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A June 7, 2018 Science Alert article highlighted research from the University of Queensland in Australia which challenges the long-held “amyloid hypothesis.” They utilized stem cells from people with Down syndrome to investigate the mechanisms responsible for neuron death in Alzheimer's disease. "Our data challenges the current dogma in the field that amyloid plaques are sufficient to cause neurodegenerative changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. It suggests that beta-­amyloid may not be the central driver of AD-associated neural cell death, and is not directly responsible for tau pathology (at least in our model)," said stem cell biologist Ernst Wolvetang from the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.

POLICY UPDATE

A June 7, 2018 Washington Examiner article reported that Virginia will expand Medicaid coverage, allowing more low-income residents to sign-up. According to Gov. Ralph Northam, "As a doctor and a public servant, I believe making sure all Virginians have the access to the care they need to be healthy and productive is both a moral and economic imperative. This budget will empower nearly 400,000 Virginians with access to health insurance by expanding Medicaid, without crowding out other general fund spending priorities."

LIFESTYLE

A June 8, 2018 Tech Times article looked at why environment is so important to people with Alzheimer’s disease. An experiment conducted in the Netherlands, with the approval of the Regional Agency of Health and the Ministry of Health, allowed a window into a better understanding of the evolution of AD. For people with dementia, environmental familiarity renders feelings of reassurance. Lighting, calm and quiet can create comfort.

A June 5, 2018 Medical News Today article pointed to previous research showing that heavy drinking can play an important role in the development of early-onset dementia via inflammation in the brain. New research from the University of Illinois at Chicago is clarifying the pathways through which heavy alcohol use can impair the protective mechanisms that shield the brain against neuronal damage by stopping the brain from clearing out amyloid beta. Also covered by Newsweek.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

According to a June 7, 2018 CICION PR Newswire release, the Boston Red Sox hosted Cure Alzheimer's Fund to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, treatment and prevention. The first pitch was thrown by researcher Dr. Rudy Tanzi of Massachusetts General Hospital. Cure Alzheimer's Fund has distributed $15.7 million in research grants, surpassed $70 million in research spending, and funded more than 300 projects.